The Gispert brand is getting a dark, full-bodied addition to its fairly mild line. Altadis U.S.A. and its Grupo de Maestro team of blenders have collaborated with Nicaraguan cigarmaker A.J. Fernandez to create Gispert Intenso, a stronger counterpart to the existing Gispert brand.

The bold packaging design is indicative of the cigars within—dark and alluring with large typeface fonts and eye-catching accents.

Scheduled to arrive at retail this month, Gispert Intenso comes in three sizes: Corona, at 5 inches by 44 ring gauge; Toro, 6 by 50; and Belicoso, 6 1/8 by 52. They will retail for $6 to $6.95.

The Gispert brand currently on the market is far milder. It consists of an Ecuadoran Connecticut wrapper around a blend of less powerful Honduran and Nicaraguan tobacco. Those are made in Altadis's Flor de Copan factory in Honduras. The new full-bodied Gispert Intenso goes in the opposite direction and is another recent example of Altadis's willingness to partner with other cigarmakers for novel interpretations of its heritage brands.

Gispert was originally an old Cuban brand created before the Revolution. After Fidel Castro seized power and nationalized the cigar industry, Cuban Gisperts were slowly phased out of production over the following decades and are no longer made.

For a vertical tasting of the Gispert Intenso, see an upcoming issue of Cigar Insider.